After the success of LIFE Under Griffon Wings, the LIFE Safe for Vultures launched, another project funded by the EU’s LIFE Programme, aiming to reinforce the Griffon Vulture population on the Mediterranean of Sardinia in Italy.
New project to protect Griffons in Sardinia
The main objective within the framework of the LIFE Under Griffon Wings project was to improve the conservation status of the Griffon Vulture in north-western Sardinia by significantly increasing the size of the population, which has grown from an estimated 90-110 individuals in 2015 to 230-250 individuals in 2019. To consolidate and strengthen these excellent results, the LIFE SAFE for VULTURES (LIFE19 NAT/EN/000732) project came to life in January 2021. With this new project, the University of Sassari, Agenzia Regionale Forestas, Sardegna Corpo Forestale, E-Distribuzione and the Vulture Conservation Foundation aim to reinforce the local population and bring the Griffon Vulture back to the whole of Sardinia, which requires the commitment and determination of all stakeholders involved. Built on a strong partnership that has already been tried and tested, the project will continue to work with professionalism to carry a whole series of actions to create the appropriate conditions for this species to regain its old ranges and old distribution areas from the central-eastern part of the island to the south of Sardinia.
Actions foreseen within LIFE SAFE for VULTURES
The LIFE SAFE for VULTURES project will implement various targeted conservation actions to enrich the practices already implemented with the LIFE Under Griffon Wings project. These include the extension of the farm feeding stations network, the creation of several anti-poison dog units spread throughout the territory, the establishment of a feeding station in the south of the island where from a special acclimatization aviary, 40 additional Griffon Vultures will come from Spain and the captive breeding programme of ARTIS Amsterdam Royal Zoo and Dresden Zoo. The risks of collision and electrocution on energy infrastructures will also be mitigated thanks to E-Distribuzione’s work to secure power lines in the most sensitive areas.